


External Pressures

by IllegalCerebral



Series: CM Bingo 2020 [7]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Break Up, Criminal Minds Bingo, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Light Angst, Lovers to Friends, Nosy Co-workers, Other, Post-Break Up, Secrets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:15:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26236252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllegalCerebral/pseuds/IllegalCerebral
Summary: Being in the BAU means having your teammates take a significant interest in your love life and you and Spencer just couldn't take it any more.
Relationships: Spencer Reid/Reader
Series: CM Bingo 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1597159
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	External Pressures

**Author's Note:**

> **I do not give permission for this work to be copy and pasted to another platform. I only post here on AO3 and on my tumblr, if you come across this work anywhere else is has been STOLEN**

“On a personal note, I am really sorry to hear this,” said Hotch, “but on a professional level I need to know whether this will have any impact on your work in the field.” You glanced at Spencer, sharing a brief but heavy look.

“No Sir,” Spencer answered. “We haven’t…fallen out. There’s no resentment or anger so we won’t have a problem working with each other.”

Hotch turned to you and you just shook your head. You had been dreading this meeting all day, you just wanted to go home before any of your colleagues bombarded you with questions.

“Will there be a problem working with anyone else?” Hotch asked. The man was a goddamn mindreader.

“That’s up to them,” you said sharply.

“We left it to last thing on Friday so we could at least have the weekend for them to get use to it,” said Spencer, “hopefully that will minimise the amount of questions.” His face made it clear he didn’t believe that was the case at all. Anger bubbled up inside you. Interference was why you were here in the first place.

“I can tell the team to keep things professional and for what it’s worth I think you’ve both conducted yourselves well,” said Hotch. You gave a small nod and left, making a beeline for your desk where you’d already packed. Spencer followed, a little slower and his head a little lower. 

Your greatest regret was that he had gotten hurt. You’d both agreed that ending your relationship was the best, barely six months after approach Hotch to declare it in the first place. Six months was nothing in the grand scheme of things and yet it had been enough time for you both to get invested enough that this heartbreak wouldn’t resolve itself quickly.

“See you Monday,” you said softly, earning a half hearted thumbs up from Spencer. Like you he’d probably glimpsed JJ’s wide-eyed stare out of the corner of his eye as you’d left Hotch’s office. To her credit she at least waited until you were almost out the door before half running over to Spencer. You silently wished him luck.

You could have used some luck of your own. You should have known better than to think you would pass the bat cave without being noticed. Garcia and Morgan had both been there when you and Spencer had gone into Hotch’s office. Honestly you were kind of surprised Garcia hadn’t ambushed the pair of you on the way out.

“Have a great weekend guys,” you said with a small wave and not a hint of hesitation in your steps. Your heart sank as you heard the click of high heels follow you down the hall.

“Spill, what were you and boy wonder doing in the boss man’s office?”

“It was a private meeting,” you didn’t look at either of them. You were going to buy so much wine and takeout on the way home. 

Garcia squealed.

“Private? Like romantic private. Oh god did Reid propose? Did he have to ask Hotch’s permission?”

“Baby girl hold up, they’ve been together no time at all. It’s a little soon for wedding bells,” Derek laughed, “so my money is on you two shacking up. Maybe finding a little nerd pad for the pair of you.”

“Nope. Spencer and I just needed to tell Hotch we’d broken up. See you Monday.”

You skipped the elevator and headed down the stairs, knowing they wouldn’t follow you. You tried your hardest to block out the furious whispers behind you. Sighing you resolved to have the chillest weekend humanly possible because Monday morning was going to be unbearable.

* * *

“For the last time JJ everything is fine.” One more question and Spencer was going to explode. Her concern came from a place of love, he knew that but that didn’t stop him from wanting to jump out of a window to make it stop.

“Spence I just want to make sure you’re okay. Break ups are emotionally traumatic. Whether they were for the right reasons or not-“

“What the hell does that mean?” Spencer spun around, causing JJ to come to a halt suddenly, eyes wide.

“You know…” she stammered, “just that compatibility and being with the right person it-“

“You think Y/N wasn’t the right person for me and that’s why we broke up?” Spencer voice was far too calm and he knew it. He could feel the anger bubbling under his skin, threatening to erupt. Hotch had emerged from his office, staring down over the bullpen with his arms folded. 

“No...it’s just. Y/N is the first person since...since Maeve and...”

_Don’t flip out, don’t make a scene. Prove you were telling the truth when you said working with them wouldn’t be an issue._

“I get you’re trying to help,” Spencer said, choosing his words carefully, “I appreciate that but all I’m going to say right now is that both Y/N and I need space.” He stressed the last part as Garcia and Morgan came in, Garcia’s face ashen. 

Spencer strode off, ignoring Garcia’s protests. Behind him, he heard Hotch speak softly.

‘I expect everyone on this team to behave like professionals. Under no circumstances are you to quiz Reid or Y/N about their relationship.”

“But Sir-“

“I will not hesitate to suspend anyone who disobeys is that clear?”

* * *

You spent the weekend with non-FBI friends that you had already told about the break up. They were confused, which you totally got. From the outside you’d been a great couple and the reason for ending things seemed…non-sensical but they didn’t push things. Instead you all headed to the park to catch up, play stupid games and share some good food.

By Monday you were feeling a little more prepared to face everyone. The urge to call Spencer and check in had been really strong but you also knew it was unfair. You couldn’t break up and then lean on each other like nothing had happened.

Everyone else was there before you. You ignored the sideways glances and unsubtle shifting in seats. Only Spencer was behaving normally, busy with paperwork and a jumbo sized cup of coffee.

Whereas before one of you would always bring coffee for the other, this morning you had both gotten your own. Clearly on the same wavelength. You couldn’t deny there was a pang though.

“Morning,” he said, glancing up from the file he was reading, “good weekend?”

“Laid back, hung out with some friends in the park. Lukas is freaking out about organising a wedding that gets bigger by the moment and Trish got a promotion.”

“How’s Gabby’s mom doing?”

“Better now, she’s going back to work next month.”

“So free bagels again,” Spencer chuckled. “That’s good to hear though. I know Gabby was worried.”

“How was your weekend?”

“Fun. That vintage cinema across town ran a marathon of Japanese horror films complete with trick or treat bowls of candy. Just about come down from my sugar high now,” Spencer laughed.

“Was there any candy left?”

“Yup I put it in the kitchen.”

You made a mental note to raid the stash later and settled down to work. It was then you caught Tara, Derek and JJ staring at you in disbelief.

“And how was your weekend guys?” you asked.

“I’m sorry how can you two act so normal?” Derek practically gasped. “The BAU’s very own epic love story crashed and burned and you guys are acting like nothing happened.”

“Pretty sure Hotch threatened to fire anyone who brought it up,” said Spencer, going back to his file. You noticed his grip on his pen tighten though there were no other outward signs of frustration.

“Crashed and burned is also a little dramatic,” you said with the sweetest smile you could muster, “Given you don’t know the details.”

“Then spill,” Tara urged.

Both you and Spencer got on with your work, ignoring every comment and pleas for information. When Hotch and Rossi crossed the walkway the others sped back to their desks, papers and stationary scattering everywhere.”

“Everything okay?” Hotch asked, the question pointedly directed at you and Spencer only.

“Is it too much to hope there’s a psychopath on the loose?” You looked up at him with puppy-dog eyes. 

* * *

The case was a quick one, done in three days and you’d managed to save the child victim from their kidnappers. There was something about cases with no body count. It made everything feel a little less fruitless.

“Drinks at mine,” declared Rossi as you piled into the bullpen, “ this was as close to a win as we get in this line of work.”

“On one condition,” Garcia said, “I think we’ve all earned the right to know why our favourite couple, sorry JJ and Will, are no longer together.”

“Garcia,” Hotch said sharply as you let out a groan.

“You really wanna know?” Spencer asked and a silence fell. He knew his face looked like thunder, he knew they rarely heard him use a tone of voice like that but in that moment he didn’t care. “We broke up because of you.”

“M-me?”

Garcia looked at you to deny it and then back at Spencer. You sighed and grabbed your bag, apologising to Rossi and saying you’d see them all later.

“I don’t-“

“It was all of you,” Spencer explained, shoulders sagging. Anger was tiring. He’d wasted a lot of time being angry. “The questions, the comments, the constant badgering. You can’t have a normal relationship in the face of that.”

“We were happy for you,” JJ scoffed. “Can’t we be happy for our friends?”

“You were overbearing and pushy,” Spencer said curtly, “It was like being in a relationship with seven people rather than one. Every conversation we had was filtered through you. Every argument had you taking sides and discussing everything. We could never celebrate on our own, or work through things privately. Our whole relationship was picked apart and put under a microscope. It got too hard. We were so happy together but there was this cloud hanging over us and eventually we decided that it would be easier to break up.”

“Kid we’re sorry it’s just-“ Derek began but Spencer held up a hand.

“The best thing you can do for us now is just drop it. Our friendship is still intact and I for one don’t want anyone spoiling that.” Spencer didn’t wait for a response, he just stalked out. He’d call you later, you deserved to know what he had said. He knew you’d agree just like you’d agreed when he had told you that it was getting too hard to keep your colleagues out of your relationship.

The last month you were together you had both fought so hard to make it work. The nights the pair of you had spent crying and pleading, staying awake all night to figure out what to do would stay with him forever.

The only consolation is that you were still friends. Spencer didn’t think he could bear losing you from his life completely.

* * *

Six months passed. It would have been your one year anniversary at the weekend and you and some friends were going away. Lukas and his fiancé had decided to hell with the wedding planning and was planning to elope with you and Gabby as witnesses. It was your first vacation in a while and you were stoked, especially because Hotch had let you have the Friday off to leave early.

“Wish them well for me,” Spencer said as you tidied up the last of your things from your desk, “and have a great time.”

“I will, you up to anything nice this weekend,” you dropped your voice. No one else was listening. Tara and Garcia were regaling the others with a story about girls’ night so you didn’t have to worry about eavesdropping. “You’ve seemed very chipper recently,” you added with a grin.

“Yeah well uh, you know that case with the congressman’s wife last year?” Spencer said sheepishly.

“Oh the agent from organised crime! What’s her name again? It’s the title of a song…”

“Doreen. Doreen Loker,” Spencer laughed. “We’re just grabbing coffee. It’s no big deal.”

“I’m happy for you,” you said sincerely, “I’ll see you Monday. Bye guys!” You raised your voice to call out to the rest of the team who yelled goodbye back. Garcia even gave you a bottle of wine to give to the happy couple, despite not knowing them.

You were happy for Spencer, and for yourself. You’d manage to weather what could have been an almighty storm and yet it didn’t stop you wondering from time to time what might have been if you and Spencer had kept your relationship secret.

**Author's Note:**

> This fulfils my "season eleven" square on my CM Bingo 2020 card


End file.
